Death toll from China storms and floods rises to 15, state media says
Severe storms and floods in central and southern China have killed at least 15 people, injured hundreds, and caused widespread damage and evacuations.
Thunderstorms and strong winds have killed at least 15 people and injured 275 in central China, state media reported on Tuesday, July 7. The severe convective weather hit Hubei province on Monday, sweeping through cities including Huangshi and Huanggang. Tornadoes were reported in some areas, and nine people remain missing. Authorities evacuated 408 residents in Huanggang's Huangzhou district. Rescue operations are ongoing.
In southern China, heavy rains and severe flooding from Typhoon Maysak killed at least two people in the Guangxi region, prompting authorities to evacuate at least 48,000 people as of Monday evening. Officials in Nanning, Guangxi's capital, raised the flood control emergency response to the highest level after torrential rain breached dams. CCTV video showed muddy water rushing through a collapsed reservoir dam. Homes and cars were partially submerged elsewhere, and rescue workers in life vests and inflatable boats searched for people.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping called for all-out rescue efforts, stressing the need to organize emergency operations, treat the injured, and resettle affected residents. Scientists warn that global extreme weather events will increase in intensity and frequency as the planet warms due to fossil fuel emissions. China is the world's largest greenhouse gas emitter but also a global renewable energy powerhouse aiming for carbon neutrality by 2060.
